Stephan Jost Named Director of Art Gallery of Ontario

The Art Gallery of Ontario has named Honolulu Museum of Art director Stephan Jost as its new director, The Globe and Mailreports. He takes over for Matthew Teitelbaum, who left the Toronto museum last April to take the helm of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston.

“I am thrilled to be joining the AGO, which is one of North America’s pre-eminent art museums,” Jost said. “The energy and diversity of Toronto is exciting, and the city is well-positioned to be a true global leader. An exciting journey lies ahead for the AGO; one that builds upon its remarkable art collection and Matthew Teitelbaum’s successful legacy that positioned the gallery as a leading, world-class institution.”

Jost had been at the HoMA since 2011, and before that served as the director of the Mills College Art Museum in Oakland, California.

The AGO recently underwent a $306 million expansion designed by Frank Gehry, and is now one of the largest museums in North America. It also has a stellar track record when it comes to its former directors: in addition to Teitelbaum, past AGO directors include Maxwell Anderson, who until recently was the director of the Dallas Museum of Art, and Glenn Lowry, the director of MoMA.